Backwards and Forwards
by Astris C
Summary: Time adapts, just as Sapphire and Steel do. Starts in an empty city with a not-so-empty atmosphere.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A blond man walked briskly along the dimly lit streets, casting shadows when he passed every street lamp. The cool autumn breeze gently swept the flame-coloured leaves off their branches; they floated around him, creating a picturesque atmosphere. But the man took no time to admire the scenery, and seemed to be in a hurry.

The strange thing about the city streets was that- it was empty. No shop was open, no apartment lights were on. There seemed to be no inhabitance at all. The man quickened his pace, and the opposing wind ruffled his hair and coat. He passed a few benches, and was about to turn a corner when a familiarly playful yet tender voice stopped him short, [Steel, did you miss me?]

Steel turned around and saw his partner, sitting on a bench with her legs crossed neatly on one side. She wore a blue trench coat and blue boots, perfectly matching her eyes, with her wavy blond hair cascading behind her in the wind as a finishing touch. Her witty remark had two implications, one being that they had not seen each other for a long time since their last assignment, and the other being that Steel had- in literal fact- missed her.

Steel couldn't help but smile a little. "I thought you were tired of me," he said light-heartedly.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Sapphire smiled and stood up to join him, and they walked down the street together.

"I did miss your presence," he admitted to her. He realised that he was more than glad to work with her again, it was also a bit of a relief. But he quickly reverted to his usual serious disposition and changed the subject to their assignment. "We've been briefed that everyone in this city has disappeared since eighteen hours ago, save for one single person, am I right?"

"Yes."

The two wandered through the streets for quite a long while, and an edge of impatience creeped into Steel's voice, "This is like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

Sapphire looked up at an obscure apartment building, hidden from view by the larger ones. "Much less difficult than that." Steel followed her gaze to see a yellow light coming from a room on the tenth floor.

A loud rattling came at the door. Deserale groaned and pulled the covers over her head. The knocking came again, this time at least two times louder. Deserale tried her best to block out the noise, but she couldn't help thinking: _What_ _idiot would come knocking at my door? Shouldn't they be at the celebration? Or, have they come to ask why I'm not at the celebration?_

The pounding went on and on, and she wondered why the door hadn't been knocked off its hinges yet. _Ignore, ignore, ignore_ , she told herself. Finally, the racket stopped. Appeased, Deserale fluffed up her pillows and dropped off to sleep.

And intriguing dream had just begun to unfold, when she felt her covers being violently yanked away from her, and her body was hit immediately by a cold gush of air. She let out an ear-piercing shriek.

Two people loomed over her, but she couldn't make out who they were in the dark. One of them somehow managed to turn the light on from where they were standing. That was when she realised how exposed she was, wearing nothing but undergarments. She hugged her covers to her body and shrieked again.

Sapphire spoke first, apologetically, "I am so terribly sorry, but we knocked several times and you wouldn't answer the door."

Deserale couldn't believe what she was hearing. " _Knocked_ _? Several_ times? I'm surprised you haven't pulverized my door, for God's sake!"

"I said we are sorry, but we need to see you for some urgent matters," Sapphire explained calmly.

Deserale was exceedingly vexed. "You disturbed my sleep! I don't know who are or what your business is here, but I don't care! You disrupted my sleep!! And your intrusion into my personal... space... is obnoxious! Do you expect me to look presentable at this time of night??"

"I'm afraid we have no choice, but we seriously need to talk about-"

"I AM NOT EVEN PROPERLY CLOTHED!"

Steel slammed his hand down on her bed frame, his voice overpowering hers, "I can see that you are in the worst state possible, but WE NEED TO TALK!!"

The impact Steel's hand had on the bed frame shook the whole mattress tremendously, and it gave Deserale a nasty shock. She stared at the two odd people, open-mouthed. After a minute, she finally recovered and breathed, "Fine... Just give me a moment to dress."

Sapphire gave her a polite nod, and she and Steel exited the bedroom.

After about ten minutes, Deserale came outside to see the two people seated still on her couch. They were so unmoving that she thought they were frozen.

"What is it you want?" she asked impatiently.

"Please sit," Sapphire told her. Reluctantly she sat, choosing the chair furthest from them.

"I understand that just now was the most unrefined way to confront you, and for that we'll now start with proper introductions," Sapphire began, her voice warm, but firm. She stood up in front of Deserale.

"My name is Sapphire, and this is my friend Steel. It is a pleasure to meet you, and we seek your cooperation." She held out her hand, but Deserale did not take it. Instead, she was glaring at them. "What sort of cooperation?"

Sapphire withdrew her hand, perplexed by the lady's behavior. She took a step forward and said, "To recover the missing population of this city." She sent to Steel, [Name: Deserale Debouti. Race: human. Age: thirty-five...]

"I do not know what you are talking about," Deserale stared at her, uncomfortable with their proximity.

[Profession: clerk. Marital status: single. That's about all I can gather from this distance. She is completely unaware of the events since eighteen hours ago.] Sapphire backed away and sat down next to Steel.

"You are saying, you are not up to date with whatever is going on outside your apartment? Steel uttered incredulously.

"I told you, I was asleep!" Deserale said, looking indeed like she wanted to get back to bed as soon as possible.

"If you must know, your fellow town dwellers have disappeared eighteen hours ago, and you seem to be the only person present in this entire city."

She just stared at him stubbornly. "So what do you expect me to do?"

For awhile even Steel looked perturbed. He gave Sapphire a quick glance before rising, signalling for her to follow him.

Sapphire joined him in the kitchen. "What is wrong with that woman?" Steel blurted in a whisper. "She doesn't seem to care that everyone in her city has dematerialised."

"Not forgetting she is the only person who _hasn't_ dematerialised," Sapphire added.

"There must be something different about her, or something that she had done differently," Steel surmised.

"She _is_ very different from most we have encountered," Sapphire said thoughtfully. "Her mannerism is contrary to most people. As you have seen, she wouldn't shake my hand, neither is she curious about us or how we have teleported into her room. She asks no questions."

"And for that, I am thankful," Steel remarked, relaxing his shoulders a little. He was sick and tired of having to deal with humans and their irrelevant questions.

"And given that she lives alone, she does seem rather outcast."

"She does remind me of someone," Sapphire gave him a fleering look, which he took no notice.

"What do you know about this city?"

"Nothing, except that it is the third smallest city-state, after Monaco, and is very disconnected from the rest of the world. We do not have much information."

"Then we need to find out more. From her," Steel said resolutely, and headed back to the sitting room.

Deserale watched disinterestedly as Sapphire and Steel re-entered. Steel sat down and began, "Tell me about this city of yours."

The reluctant woman mumbled, "Elliria, the most imbecile and backward nation you'll ever know."

What she said struck a chord with Steel. "Elaborate on 'backward'."

Deserale sighed and shook her head. "We can't do anything around here. Nothing at all, except overwork, obey and worship our leader."

"How old is this state?" Steel probed. Sapphire, in the meantime, was doing some probing of her own. She went around, touching the furniture and walls. She leaned against a particular wall at the edge of the apartment and listened. Her eyes widened, as if something had caught her attention. She cast Steel a quick glance before disappearing out of the front door.

"A hundred years. We haven't progressed since. There has been no elections, no new leader, everything is-"

"Hold it. No new leader?" Steel said, confounded.

Sapphire reached the bottom of the stairs and breathed the atmosphere. She could hear the sounds of merry singing, in the distance. She stepped out onto the road and walked down...

"We are being ruled under a necrocracy."

Steel furrowed his eyebrows, unfamiliar with the term.

"Our government still operates under a former, dead leader."

Steel stood up abruptly. "We've got it, Sapphire!" He looked around and realized that his partner wasn't with them. "Sapphire?" He searched the kitchen and bedrooms, but to no avail.

Sapphire approached the city square. Bright red banners hung from the buildings, with words such as "Hail!" and "Rejoice!" printed on them. The singing was now much louder and much clearer. She stepped onto the open ground and spread out her arms, trying to take in as much information as possible. She took a step forward, and suddenly disappeared from view.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You didn't see her leave, did you?"

Deserale simply shrugged. Steel decided to search outside, and left through the front door. Deserale stared after him hesitantly, wondering if she should start involving herself in the two strangers' affairs. It then occurred to her that something different was happening in her life for once, and it was worth participating in. Slowly, she rose from her chair and motioned to the door.

She descended the flights of stairs, all the way from the tenth floor to the first, and found that Steel was already out combing the streets. She joined Steel in his search, and it wasn't until a full minute has passed when she gasped, "Everyone _has_ disappeared!"

Steel ignored her. He kept calling out to Sapphire with his mental voice, but none called back to him. He felt that their link was still intact, so he could at least be sure that Sapphire wasn't dead. Yet.

They turned a corner and walked into another street. That was when Deserale gasped for the second time. Steel thought she had realised something obvious again, but was surprised when she cried out, "Trees!"

Deserale was pointing straight ahead of her. Evidently, looking quite out of place among the cluster of grey apartments, were many tall, green trees.

Steel started for the trees, leaving Deserale frozen in her tracks, open-mouthed. Never in her whole life had she ever seen trees. In books, probably, but never in this city. Finally, she snapped out of her awe and followed behind Steel.

They reached the trees, and found that the concrete paths they had been walking on had changed to forest ground. A pulse finally came. [Steel!]

Just that one pulse confirming that Sapphire was still conscious was enough to relax him considerably. [Where are you, Sapphire?]

[It's quite a long story, Steel.] her voice continued disquietedly. [Back in the apartment I tried probing around for old objects, as would be the trigger for most time break-throughs. I did feel something, very faintly. It was old... _very_ old... But it wasn't an object...]

[What was it then?]

[I left the apartment, and it grew more distinct. It was old _feelings_.]

Steel's eyes lit up with realisation, but he waited for Sapphire to finish.

[I followed it out of the streets to the city square, where the source of the feelings had to be coming from. That was when the city square disappeared, and _I_ disappeared with it.]

[So where are you?]

[I don't know. I can't feel or see anything. Where are _you_ , Steel?]

[I'm in the midst of some trees, and I suppose this is where the city square used to be, am I right?]

[I didn't see any trees. But since you are able to receive me, I'm positive that's where you are now.]

Steel paced through the section of trees, mulling over their situation. [Now why would a city square disappear, in the place of trees, Sapphire?]

[I hypothesise that the old feelings caused a break-through in Time, reverting the city square to its origin. Or more specifically, the whole _city_ to its origin, that explains the disappearance of the population.]

[But why only _this_ section of the city, and why everyone except Deserale?]

Then he remembered. He turned to Deserale, who had been watching him curiously. "You said your government operates under a dead leader, is that right?"

"Yes."

"Now has there been any event to mourn or celebrate him recently?"

"Yes, of course, this whole week. The stupid king's stupid birthday party," Deserale mumbled.

"Held at the city square?"

"Duh."

"You had to tell me at the last minute, didn't you?" Steel muttered gruffly. He sent to Sapphire, [It looks like we've found our trigger. Take time back, Sapphire, to nineteen hours ago.]

[And what happens there?]

[Oh, you are going to like it. A _party_.]

[What about Deserale? Is she with you?]

[Yes. Take her with us. Take it back, Sapphire. _Now_.]

Deserale could hear a low hum resonating around her. Before she knew it, she found herself immersed in collective, thunderous chatter and cheer. She felt bodies roughly brushing past her, bumping into her, and squishing her, like in a pack of sardines. She realised that she was the only beige in the sea of red, and looked up at the unignorable banner above her. _Hail the day of our glorious leader_ _King Nicolaeus Avgedera 156_

She was in the city square, in the afternoon, right in the midst of the King's birthday celebration. _What on earth am I doing here??_ Her mind screamed. She scrambled through the pandemonium, frenzied and lost. She had to find her fellow cooperators, questions later. Shoving people aside, like pushing water past her in a swimming pool, she motioned her way out of the red storm.

She had just reached the end when a group of guards marched past, and before she could be spotted, Deserale disappeared into the crowd again. She was too noticeable in her contrasting attire.

There came a sudden deafening screech from the audio feedback, and someone spoke through the microphone, "The mass singing activity will now commence. Please sing loudly and proudly for the sake of our almighty leader!"

With that, the crowd burst into song, making Deserale wince. She looked around, unsure of what to do, and that was when she caught sight of a man dressed in a dark grey suit, looking like a fish out of water. _Him_ _! What's his name again? Sapphire, and... Steel!_

"Steel!" She called out to the man above the roaring of the crowd. Somehow, Steel heard her and turned around. They advanced towards each other, and as soon as Steel was close enough, he grabbed her by the arm and they teleported.

They reappeared at a dark void deck under an office building behind the city square. Sapphire was standing in front of them.

"Were we brought back in time?" Deserale queried.

"Yes, but we only have an hour before the city disappears again," said Sapphire. "There is an entity in Time, making use of the peoples' feelings as its trigger, then reaching in and taking the present day city."

"And I believe the entity is that King of yours," said Steel.

"But the King is dead!" Deserale rebutted.

"Well, he's not so dead anymore, after what your people have done for the past century to revive him," was his stark reply. Steel walked over to the edge of the wall and peeped behind the corner. The masses were still chorusing brightly.

Deserale thought for a moment. Suddenly angry, she stomped towards Steel. "If anything it wasn't _my_ fault, I don't worship him like they do, and I really don't care what happens to them either! This is all none of my business-"

"'Tis _our_ business and we need you to help us!" Steel yelled.

"Well then what _can_ you do? Stop everyone from worshipping him?" She countered.

Steel fell silent. He looked at Sapphire, and sent, [She's right. We haven't seen enough. We don't know enough.]

Sapphire's intent expression broke into a smile, and she said aloud, "Then for this hour, we might just as well blend in, and observe." Her eyes twinkled playfully at him. Steel felt an odd sensation, and looked down at his body. He was now clad in a red suit and trousers. Deserale now wore a red cardigan and skirt. They turned to Sapphire, who was clothed in a magnificent scarlet gown and feather hat.

Less than amused by the garments, Steel asked, [And after this hour?]

[We will be back where we were, and we start again.]

Steel didn't like the sound of that. [Back where we were?]

[Back where we were.] She repeated gravely.

"It's a shame this is for the King," Deserale looked at all their clothes admiringly. She directed to Sapphire, "You have exceptional taste."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Just as the last song had been sung, the trio reappeared in the enthusiastic, whooping crowd. Sapphire clapped along with them, while Steel and Deserale just stood there grumpily.

[Do we have to?] Steel pulsed. In reply, a guard behind them called, "Why are you two not cheering?"

Immediately, Steel and Deserale clapped wildly. Satisfied, the guard moved away, and Sapphire gave them a little smirk.

The microphone came back on. "There will now be a twenty-minute recess. Please proceed to the side tables for refreshments."

The crowd dispersed. "Do we have a choice?" Deserale complained. Steel considered he might just get to like the woman. "We'll split up. Look out for anything strange. But don't eat anything." With that, he headed off to the exhibition booth.

Sapphire disappeared into the crowd, briefly observing and spot-analysing everyone she passed by. She approached the side tables, where a young man was serving refreshments. The man stood up when he spotted her and flashed her a big grin. Sapphire raised her eyebrows.

"Miss, would you like one?" He asked, holding out a plate of dewberry biscuits, stacked in a little triangular pyramid. They were pretty, with round, golden crusts and crimson-coloured jam centres.

"No thank you," she returned a smile.

"No? I made them myself. Fresh from the oven," he urged. Before Sapphire could respond, the speaker announced, "Everyone please gather for the one-hundred-and-fifty-six-bow salute."

 _Twenty minutes? That was quick_ , she thought, and turned around to survey the crowd. Yet nobody assembled. People were still happily chattering and munching away.

She turned back to face the table, to see the man serving refreshments again. He stood up when he spotted her, and flashed her a big grin. "Miss, would you like one?" He asked, holding out a plate of dewberry biscuits.

"You already asked me that," Sapphire stared straight ahead, her voice cold and distant. "You made them yourself. Fresh from the oven."

The man held the plate closer towards her. "That's right. Go on, try one."

She knew not to eat it, of course, but had to make contact with it to do a spot analysis. Slowly, she reached out and laid her fingers on the biscuit.

The effect was electric. Sapphire inhaled sharply and withdrew her hand, then turned around. The crowd of red swam before her eyes, walking backwards, and then forwards in fast-motion. She felt as if she was being pulled through- or held back- in Time. Suddenly, everything in her vision shattered and flew apart. She could see distorted images- pieces- blurred, broken. Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue as she exerted all her energy into fighting it, but not for long. The glow turned a brief turquoise hue before dying out.

Overcome with terror and exhaustion, she stayed extremely still while letting herself recover, her eyes unblinking, her senses at their keenest. She had never heard silence like that before. She was so used to Time whispering permanently at the back of her mind, that without it, she felt like a part of her was missing. Desperate, she let her instinct take over, she called out to the one person whose strong presence always anchored her, whose voice lingered in spite of all distance between them.

But that voice was no more. All she received in reply was that deafening silence resonating in her head, and it frightened her. She let one final cry escape her...

 _Steel...?_

...before submitting herself to the corridor that had shunted her out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Steel appeared among the trees. It was night again. He made his way through the forest, rustling the fresh, moist grass beneath his shoes as he went.

"Sapphire?" He called, stopping by a tree to listen out for her. Hearing nothing, he continued on his search. "Sapphire? Deserale?"

If anything, things were definitely not going as expected. The hour had ended prematurely. His companions were far from his side. He had gathered next to no new information. After combing the whole forest, he did make one discovery, however: it had increased in land area.

He stopped again, this time out of despair. To his surprise, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to face Deserale, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Where's Sapphire?" He shot back.

"If I knew, I would be with her, wouldn't I?" She said, in a smug tone which was very unlike her. "You shouldn't ask impossible questions."

Steel frowned and headed in the direction out of the forest, with Deserale close behind.

"Why are we back here?" she asked.

Steel ignored her, probing hard into the depths of his mind, open to the slightest presence, the faintest whisper. How could this happen? How could he have lost her again?

"Where _is_ Sapphire?" she asked.

They were out of the forest, and Steel marched to Deserale's apartment building and up the stairs. His heavy footsteps resounded in the darkness, accompanied by Deserale's light, quick patter. They entered her sitting room, and Deserale demanded,

"Where _is_ she?"

"I don't know!" Steel bellowed, exasperated.

"You don't _know_? How _could_ you not know?" she went on.

Flustered, Steel turned away. The questions in his head... the doubt... the uncertainty... It wasn't about Sapphire...

"YOU!" Steel spun around suddenly. "You're not her! You ask too many questions!"

Deserale seated herself down on the couch, placed her arms comfortably on its armrests and stared up at him innocently.

"You're not her! Who are you?"

In reply, Deserale propped her feet up on the coffee table, and transformed into a completely different person: a burly man, clad in ancient luxury costume. The couch had turned into a red and gold-coloured throne.

"It is I, thy glorious leader. Bow down and hail him!"

Before he could protest, an excruciating pain shot up Steel's spine, he groaned and staggered to the floor.

"Much better," the King crossed his legs, satisfied. "Believe me, I was never like this. I have no control over what has become of me."

Steel tried to push himself off the ground, but the pain anchored him there.

"Did I tell them to behave this way? No! Forwards, I tell them, always forwards!"

"Then let me help you," Steel gasped.

"You can't!"

"You want forwards, _I_ bring things forwards! I can help!"

"You can't!

"Who are you speaking for?"

For a moment the King's words were stuck. "You're not just an afterimage, are you?" Steel continued. "Who is that controlling you? Who do you speak for?"

The King's demeanor changed and his voice took a cold, mechanical edge. " _Time._ "

 _Finally_ , Steel thought, shifting uncomfortably in his bowing position. But at least it suited the situation he was in now.

"You took Sapphire. Bring her back," Steel uttered firmly.

" _There is no good reason_ ," the King said stiffly.

"You break in. Burst through things. Take people. Does that have any good reason?"

" _Time does not answer to the desires of humans, or elements. It does not serve their purposes."_

"Then what purpose do you- does it- serve?" Steel spluttered.

 _"None but its own. It does not wish to be disturbed."_

"It is our job to allow for it to be undisturbed!"

 _"Then you have failed. You were out of line."_ The afterimage tightened its grip on Steel and he cried out in pain.

"Give us a chance!" He begged. "Once we are finished here, we will be gone!"

" _Time makes no promises,_ " the King said succinctly, and released him. He collapsed on his side, and with some effort, picked himself up again. The King had disappeared, and the throne was back into a chair.

"So is that yes or a no?" Steel called, glancing around the room. He was almost beside himself with disheartenment when there came a knock at the door. Steel went forward and opened it.

In walked Sapphire, followed by Deserale. The two operators stared at each other; Steel with surprise and Sapphire with concern. Tacitly, they made for the kitchen to settle things out.

Once in privacy, Sapphire stopped abruptly and turned around. "It knows."

"I know," Steel said grimly.

"It knows about us, Steel," Sapphire's voice trembled. "It learns... it adapts. It wants us out of the fabric... I saw it..."

"You were out of line. What did you trigger?" Steel angered.

"I didn't! I never saw it coming!" Sapphire gasped, overwhelmed.

"You touched something."

"I was only doing a spot analysis. That seldom triggered anything."

"I told you not to touch anything!" Steel raised his voice.

"You told me not to _eat_ anything!"

Now he vividly remembered that. But it didn't matter.

"What was it?"

"A jam biscuit. Flour, butter, sugar and vanilla essence, dewberry jam centre."

Steel turned away in frustration. Sapphire closed her eyes as she recalled her near death experience. "I saw it. Blurred. Broken."

"Always is, always will be," Steel mumbled.

"I was already displaced in Time when I turned it back... Therefore I was..."

"...out of line," they finished together, and made eye contact again. "And I told you to turn it back..." Steel said as he motioned towards her.

"Yes," she said rather hurtly.

"And I almost lost you," he said and planted a sincere kiss on her cheek, taking away her grievance. Promptly he withdrew and added, "But it brought you back."

"It gave me a chance," she said. "It gave _us_ a chance."

"A chance to fix things," said Steel.

"But like Deserale said, we can't brainwash an entire city of people."

"Who said we were brainwashing anyone? We fix time disturbances, Sapphire, not human affairs."

"But in this assignment, we have to. To get rid of the old feelings. To prevent a break-through."

"But-"

"We can't brainwash city," Sapphire repeated.

"We can't brainwash a city..." Steel realised, drifting into deep thought. Then suddenly, he stood up with a loud snap of his fingers. "But we can brainwash _her_!"

"What?" Sapphire cast him a look of apprehension. She knew that his ideas were seldom, if not never, safe.

"What's more triggering then old things and new things mixed together? Someone who feels differently from the rest?" Steel's mind was racing as he opened and closed the cupboards and drawers around him.

"That would just aggravate the trigger," Sapphire said upsetly as she watched his rapid movement around the kitchen.

"That would _stabilise_ it," he said firmly.

"But that wouldn't be permanently _removing_ it. What if... What if Time-"

"Time never breaks through the same place more than once, does it?" he said, now checking the refrigerator.

"Not that we know of, not yet..." Sapphire said dubiously.

"Well then," Steel closed the refrigerator, feeling he had made his point. Then with a somewhat mischievous tone, he turned around and said, "Let's do some baking, shall we?"

"What tips? I don't know anything!" Deserale complained as Sapphire dragged her by her arm to the kitchen.

"Oh I'm sure you have plenty," said Sapphire. "For instance, what do you know about dewberry jam biscuits?"

"Well, they are... they are ceremonial food that symbolise the eternity of the King, according to everyone's balderdash, that is."

Sapphire smiled. "Good. You have all the ingredients and equipment required to make them. We invite you to join us."

In disbelief, Deserale shifted her gaze from Sapphire to Steel, who simply told her, "Will you do the honour of preheating the oven?"

She looked to her left. She hadn't operated that thing in a long time. But then her stomach rumbled, and she remembered not having eaten in a long time either. She flicked the switch on the wall and turned the knob a hundred and eighty degrees, leaving the oven in a flavescent-orange glow.

They stood in a row at the counter as they shaped the dough; Sapphire on the left, Steel on the right, and Deserale in the middle. For a few minutes no one spoke, but Sapphire broke the silence, "You're doing it quite nicely, Deserale."

Deserale looked down at her work, which she didn't even bother putting effort into.

"Well, at least much better than Steel's," Sapphire added jokingly. Her partner's circles were all square-looking, with crinkles around the edges. Steel loosened up a bit and said to Deserale, "She's the cook, if she thinks you're good, that means you really are."

Deserale said nothing, though feeling like she really wanted to. They moved on to mixing the jam and cream. She never looked up, but couldn't help noticing the silent banter between the two. Every once in a while Sapphire would direct him a teasing glance, returned by the smallest hint of a sardonic smile on his part, which was followed by an affectionate smirk of hers. It was so annoying and yet amusing to her, and it all happened so quickly and discreetly, she wasn't even sure she hadn't imagined it.

Finally, when the tray of biscuits were put into the oven for baking, Deserale decided to let the words come out,

"Why are you doing this?"

"Baking?" Sapphire answered.

"No. Everything. Ever since you came. In fact, I don't even know _what_ you are doing."

"And you didn't seem to mind," said Steel.

"I know, but... now I do..." she realised as she spoke. Sapphire, who had been uncomfortable with the unusual absence of human curiosity, jumped at the request for an explanation. "We are inter-dimentional operators, sent here to keep order in Time."

What she said intrigued Deserale more. "For us? For people here on Earth?"

"Amongst other things."

Deserale was bewildered. "But why bother? Humans suck anyway. And I've heard you say that we're the ones causing trouble for ourselves." Steel was facing away from them, and secretly smiling.

"It is, for example, why you would protect animals," said Sapphire.

Now Deserale was appalled. She hated her own kind, but they were not deserving to be thought so lowly of. "Animals? Is that all we are to you?"

"Then why should _you_ think of them that way?" Sapphire's lips curled. A "ring" sounded from the oven, and she went to open it. The aroma of freshly baked biscuits wafted out and into the kitchen. She settled the tray down on the counter and said, "I have noticed a specific arrangement for these biscuits. Is it important in some way?"

"Yes, it's standard. A triangular base of six biscuits, another triangle of three stacked on top, and the final one placed in the middle," answered Deserale. Sapphire pulled out a plate and a pair of tongs from the drawer, and began to arrange the biscuits as described. "The base is for conformity, the second triangle for collectivism, and the top-most biscuit for the King."

Steel listened intently. "And is there a specific way of serving them?"

"No, but they have to be eaten from top-down. Out of _eternal respect_. Quite silly if you ask me."

"Eternal respect..." Steel paced slowly, ruminating. "Eternal respect... by _devouring_ the King..."

He paused suddenly and turned to Sapphire, who looked back at him knowingly. "Time broke through eighteen hours ago. No better time to do it than at the one hundred and fifty-six bow salute," he told her, then said to Deserale, "You better be hungry."

"What?"

"Hold that plate."

Deserale looked hesitantly at Steel, then at the plate. As soon as she had done as instructed, Steel signalled, "Sapphire?"

Sapphire put her hands by her side, looked up, and stood absolutely still, her irises glowing blue. She was weary of all that struggle with Time, and hoped it would be the last time she had to do it on this assignment.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Deserale found herself back in the bustling city square, lost in the recess crowd, standing awkwardly with her plate of neatly stacked biscuits. Just then, the announcement came on, "Everyone please gather for the one hundred and fifty-six bow salute."

The scattered crowd formed quickly and efficiently into clearly defined rows and spaced themselves out. The place soon went dead quiet. Deserale looked around helplessly, just as Steel and Sapphire materialised on either side of her.

 _I'm adding crowds to my phobia list_ , she thought to herself.

"Bow with your chin no higher than ground level, at the sound of each gong." The first gong sounded immediately, and they had no choice but to do as everyone did. They bowed as low as they could get, stayed at that position for five seconds, and had to stand all the way up before repeating the process. By the third bow, Deserale had grown bored of the ritual and started to ask, "Why do we-"

[No. Don't speak. Look into my eyes.] Sapphire pulsed to her. As they bent down for their forth bow, Sapphire tilted her head to the side, facing Deserale. Deserale did the same and watched her eyes glow. [Now think of what you had to say.]

Deserale tried, [Why do we have to-]

She stopped to gasp and marvel at her new ability. As they rose from the ground, she repeated, [Why do we have to do this?]

[As soon as this is over everything will be back in place.] Sapphire answered.

[And what are the biscuits for?]

[We'll let you know about them later. For now, just keep your back together.] Steel replied. At first Deserale wondered what he meant, then realised she had to endure another one hundred and fifty-two bows.

For a long while no one spoke, and minutes dragged on like hours. By the fiftieth bow, Deserale's knees were aching badly and she needed a distraction. [Would you mind talking?]

[What do you suggest?] welcomed Sapphire, who had been feeling spiritless herself. She had removed her feather hat and placed it on the ground beside her.

[I don't know, actually. There's nothing to talk about.] she said drearily.

[Are you lonely?] Sapphire initiated.

[What?]

[Lonely. Living here. Cast out.] She thought Deserale reminded her a lot of Liz.

[Well, no. I'm fine with being alone. It suits me, ] Deserale responded immediately. But she thought deeper and let out a sigh. [Well, a little, maybe. Sometimes.]

[You won't be for long, ] added Steel. Again, she wondered what he meant by that. He spoke in riddles. Both he and Sapphire did.

Suspicion grew and boiled inside her. She had asked questions, she had received answers, yet none of her questions seemed to have been answered. Another fifty bows went by, she couldn't distinguish one gong from the next. It felt routined now, it had numbed her; physically and mentally.

At the hundred and forty-fifth gong, Steel sent her, [There is one biscuit for each of the remaining bows. Start eating from the bow after this, in the correct order.]

Deserale turned to face Steel. [You want me...to eat ten of those at one go? I can't do that!]

[There isn't any time left. We're counting on you, ] Steel told her as they stood up. Deserale stared down at the plate of biscuits, horrified. Suddenly all became clear.

The hundred and forty-sixth gong was struck, Deserale stumbled to the ground and stuffed the top-most biscuit into her mouth. Chewing feverishly, she sent, [You're using me.] Sapphire and Steel were silent with guilt, and refused to look at her.

At the forth-remaining bow and at Deserale's forth biscuit, Steel finally asked her, [How much do you know?]

[Everything, ] she sent angrily, [if what I presume is true.]

Sapphire watched her as she swallowed hastily to make room for the next biscuit. She softly told her, [I'm sorry.]

Deserale simmered down a little upon hearing the apology. [You could've told me.] She pondered over it for awhile and continued, [Well... what else is there to do with my life? Perhaps I'll be better off like the others.] She suddenly choked on her food and began to cough violently, causing the people around to look at her. But she recovered quickly enough to pop in a biscuit at the next bow.

Soon they were at the second last gong. [We'll be leaving soon] Steel told her.

[Could this happen again?] she asked.

[No, ] he said firmly, then quickly added, [I hope not, anyway.]

Deserale swallowed hard and made a grimace as the last gong sounded. _I'm adding biscuits to my phobia list,_ she thought to herself.

[Thank you for your cooperation, ] Sapphire told her sincerely as they made their final bow and Deserale reached for her last biscuit. As an uplifting note, she added, [I can assure you that you won't feel lonely again.]

Deserale was comfortable with that thought, but still couldn't imagine what it would be like to have her beliefs changed completely. Once the last morsel of food was down her throat, the air filled with enraged screams and a misty whiteness. A strong gale swirled endlessly and the world faded out, and...

"What time is it, Sapphire?"

The duo stood on the sidewalk, watching cars as they drove down the street, gazing at city lights in the night sky. He was back in his dark grey suit, and her in her deep blue trench coat.

"Nine twenty-seven PM, August the eighteenth. The present."

Steel exhaled in sheer relief. "Things won't be the same again, now that Time has marked us, and confronted us. It never tries the same thing more than once. What will our next assignments... What if They-"

"Steel."

Steel stopped and looked at her.

"Don't forget to live in the present," she said gently. Steel turned back to face the road.

"What do you think about her?" she asked him.

"Who, Deserale?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. What about her?"

"It's just good to know that she belongs somewhere now, no matter how ridiculous her society. Don't you think so?"

"Yes," he mumbled.

"Which leaves only one person I know who is still..." Sapphire turned to where he was standing and realised that Steel had gone.

She smiled. It was payback, maybe, for the times she had abruptly and melodramatically teleported at the end of an assignment. He had beat her to it, this time. She was in no hurry this time, however, and strolled down the streets leisurely. But upon arriving at the city square, she stopped.

The red banners that hung from the buildings had miraculously disappeared.

It puzzled her. If this was the present, and she wasn't being deceived by Time, then it could only mean one thing: The city was going forwards.

She took some time to ponder hard on how it could have happened. She recalled the biscuits and what each layer symbolised; top most for eternal respect for the King, second layer for collectivism, third layer for conformity. By consuming all of them, Deserale had gotten rid of the entity, as well as the backwardness of the city.

And she had told Deserale that she wouldn't feel lonely again. She had miscalculated, yet her presumption was still accurate.

Should Steel know about this? She _could_ inform him...

...or she could keep the marvelous discovery to herself.

THE END


End file.
